


Silence of the Butterflies

by UnchainedSilence



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Drama, F/M, Forgetfulness, Mystery, Searching, murder case
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29367942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnchainedSilence/pseuds/UnchainedSilence
Summary: [Persona 4 Golden] Forgetfulness is scary and even more so when it's happening around you to everyone but yourself. Join one person's race against time to save their loved one from fading into obscurity. "A protagonist with no save points is a protagonist no more."
Relationships: Narukami Yu/Shirogane Naoto, Persona 4 Protagonist/Shirogane Naoto, Seta Souji & Shirogane Naoto, Seta Souji/Shirogane Naoto
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. Day One: Defragmentation

**Day One: Defragmentation**

_The silence unbearable, even in the city's bright light, the lack of sound messed with his senses as for every answer for the question he asked in his head, another two popped up. It wasn't too sure why it was this way but it seemed like this situation was never ending. He ran through the streets of Akihabara, his footsteps making no sound as he looked on for anything, any sign of life. The cars were still, even the ones on the road were unmanned and unmoving like the world stood still. At this point he could get all the way to Ueno_ _if this_ _kept up. He wasn't sure how long_ _he'd been_ _trying to find an exit for but he was starting to grow weary of the dead ends and the locked doors. He just wanted home and he_ _wondered how_ _much longer he_ _needed_ _to go on to find it. Briefly checking his phone the dreaded 'No Signal' played out on the phone, with a shake of the head kept going. He kept charging ahead hoping his tired legs will eventually find the answer he wanted, the one to go home._

"Ahhhh!" Startled awake from her slumber Inaba's resident detective shot up out of bed at a sudden dream. She held her hand to her head as a pain shot through her. Cringing at the now forming thumping headache she had gotten she climbed out of bed heading to the bathroom. Turning the light to the dimmest setting to not make the banging in her brain worse she looked herself in the mirror. Nothing seemed to be out of place then she realised, her top was damp.

She was sweating.

"What the hell? Am I ill?" She blinked slowly raising her hand to her forehead yet again and noticing it wasn't hot. The dream she had was weird, was it linked with that?

"Maybe I should change what books I read before going to bed..." Giving herself one more look over she took out a pack of aspirin from under the sink cabinet and poured herself some water before taking the medication. Hopefully this could help her sleep because she went to bed early for a reason. Walking back into her room, she took off her sleep shirt and threw it into the clothes hamper before rummaging through her dresser for a new one. Picking a suitable one, she slipped in on and climbed back into bed. Giving a small smile as she felt the painkillers already start to take effect, she looked at the framed picture of her and her Senpai cuddling on the bed side table which reminded her to check her phone. 'No new messages' showed up on her conversation. She'd set a reminder to herself to message him when she's up and awake in the morning. The last thing he needed was to take him up in the middle of the night. Not soon after the arms of sleep took her in again.

...

...

It was the morning in Junes where Yosuke was mounting boxes into a pile with the latest stock of DVDs that have just come in, ready to be tagged. Luckily for him his shift was almost over so he wouldn't have to deal with the fall out of dealing with them. Grinning as he looked at the time, he saw that he would off shift. Hopefully he would time to change before the rest of the gang got here and he wouldn't be caught in his-.

"Hey Yosuke-kun!"

...Never mind.

Turning to one of his good friends and the martial artist in the group he put the best cheerful face he could muster.

"Hey what's going on, you're early?"

All she did was grin, happy that she was earlier than on time for once. "Yes you say that but the rest of the group is already here so I just came to check when you are finished. You still finish work in a minute right?"

"Yeah that hasn't changed."

"Good, also Naoto-kun brought Nanako-chan with her as well." Yosuke's face lit up brightly like a Christmas tree. It wasn't very often they saw Nanako-chan since Souji left Inaba so this was reason for a celebration.

"Alright, I'm gonna go change and be on the court in a sec. Just don't start the party until I'm there."

"I can't make any promises."

Back at the table Chie walked back to the group who was already sitting amongst themselves talking. Seemed that Rise, Kanji and Naoto were discussing things to do with class and end of year assignments. Since they will be next on the graduating list by the end of the year. A lot of the three's time has been taken up by them as they made sure they got good enough grades to get where they needed to be. When it came down to it, it was mostly Naoto tutoring both Rise and Kanji for the most part as she'd already got her acceptance letter from Tokyo University.

"Do you still plan on going on to University Rise-chan?" She nodded with a bright smile.

"Yeah I want to do a remote course though because I plan to be on the idol business when I graduate. I probably won't have time to do a full time course so it's probably going to be part time for now. What about you Kanji-kun."

"I plan to help Ma when I graduate. College ain't for me at all."

Naoto looked on curiously at her friends as her eyes drifted to Nanako who was sitting on the opposite side of the table. Dojima contacted her this morning because Nanako really wanted to spend time with the group which wasn't unusual but apparently she was quite pushy about it which was a first of Naoto hearing she could be like that. I think she misses her Big Bro more than anything else is what Naoto summed up.

"How about you Nanako-chan, you been ok? How's school been?" Yukiko quizzed with Teddie sitting next to her, enthusiastic for a response. That's when Naoto saw it, there was a flash of sadness as she masked incredibly quickly before talking to her friends with a bright and cheerful expression. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she focused on the younger Dojima. Scanning her features seeing if anything was out of the ordinary, was something going on at school so she just wanted to spend time here? This was something she should ask her when they got time alone.

"Naoto-kun!"

"H-huh?" She turned to both Kanji and Rise, both sporting a set of concerned looks.

"Oh I asked you if you have your assignments done cause I know you are way ahead of the game? Is something bothering you?" Blinking just to get her mind back on track.

"Oh yes. I have all of my assignments done so I've been working on the logistics to move to Tokyo. I still haven't had a chance to complete all of it however. There are a few things I need to sort out which I'll get round too."

Rise's smile was cheeky. "Oh... Looking forward to moving in with Senpai huh?"

A spark went off in her mind as flashes of last night's dream burst into her mind. And just as quickly it was gone...

_What the hell is happening?_

For some reason in her mind she couldn't quite work out. She turned to Nanako to only have her do the same and make eye contact. She saw her eyes widen for just a second before turning back to talk to Yukiko.

Reality hit her quickly as she processed Rise's words and blushed as she scoffed to hide her embarrassment. By extension Kanji blushed too.

"Come Rise-chan don't bully Naoto-kun like that. She and Senpai have been looking forward to moving in with each other for a while. I can only imagine how hard it is to go long distance? Am I right?"

Naoto nodded, smiling sweetly for his understanding. "Yes, especially since it being my first relationship, it can be taxing but us going to University together will be helpful. Remember he did say he was coming to Inaba to help me pack and move so we'll see him soon."

To Naoto's surprise both Rise and Kanji sounded shocked by the news.

"Wait he's coming down? Why didn't you say?"

"Wait really?"

"Yeah, We would celebrate if we knew Sensei was coming!"

Naoto's expression turned from surprised to bemused. they had this conversation two weeks ago and they brought it up last week. Unless she'd remember the past differently but she was sure her memory wasn't bad at all. Everyone pegged the dates in the calendar because it was so important. The team getting back together and everything.

"Oh yeah Big Bro was coming back soon, I remember everyone speaking to my Dad about it."

"Really?" Naoto's face whipped to Yukiko which showed the same shocked expression as her other two friends. The Sleuth's eyes narrowed suspiciously on Nanako, now she was sure something was up. This was bizarre. It was like there has been two different sets of the past..

"Guys food is here! Teddie a little help here man." Yosuke announced with him and Chie carrying multiple trays to the table with food they took interest in earlier. Teddie shot up to help them carry the rest of them to the table. "Savour this one because it's on the house. My Dad decided to take pity on us since we are such loyal customers."

Everyone smiled and laughed at the new appearance of food except for Naoto who felt completely off about what was going on. She'd have to contact Senpai later on to make sure if he'd notice something strange going on. Yukiko turned to both Chie and Yosuke.

"Did you know that Souji-kun is planning on coming back to help Naoto move?" Yosuke and Chie's look of surprise mirrored the one Rise and Kanji made earlier.

"What? No way!" Yosuke turned to Naoto and gave her a wink and a thumbs up. "If there was one person that could bring him back it was you. Good stuff. I think we could all agree we miss him."

The collective nod around the room affirmed that. Naoto was about to comment but thought better of it. Whatever was going on, it was something she needed to look into. There was a feeling her gut now that was ringing alarm bells and while the rational part of her mind was telling her not to worry about and focus on the time he was coming, something was very, very wrong about this but maybe she could speak to Nanako at the end of the day to put her mind at ease.

"You gonna eat Naoto-kun?"

Kanji's voice snapped her back into reality again as her two best friends looked on in concern again. "You've been spacing out all afternoon. Somethin' up?" Shaking her head quickly and dismissing his worry for nothing. Instead she shifted the topic, taking a bullet to make everything seem normal.

"I was just thinking about Senpai that's all." She said with a mild bloom of the cheeks which made Rise squeal and Kanji grin in embarrassment.

...

_Walking through the market stalls of Ueno, all that illuminated his path was the lights of the buildings, life unmoving. The voiceless murmurs of the city streets his only company. The hope of being able to leave started to look thin as his hope for communication. His mind rattled from the lack of senses. The world was silent, his sense of touch void of any feeling and the lack of food meant that he didn't even know if his taste buds even worked. His sight, clouded by hazy veil miasma that clung heavily in the air. He couldn't say for sure but the feeling of being chased was a shadow in his mind. It's why he kept running, never stopping. Soon he would be coming to Okachimachi, where streets were tighter, thinner a maze to anyone not familiar to the area. He needed to take that chance or he wouldn't be able to survive depending on how long he could survive. Thoughts of his friends and family his only drive to leave this horror show._

...

"Ah it's been fun hanging around with you Nanako-chan" Chie said cheerfully as they played games with the youngest in the group with the rest of the team floating around her like satellites orbiting a planet. However Naoto sat on the side with her face in her phone as she took various messages. She remembered to look over and shoot a smile once and a while to reduce the suspicion that her mind was completely elsewhere. Quickly she shot Souji a message asking how he's been and waited for it to go through. It hung on Line which was rare for him but she chalked it up to him being on the Tokyo Subway.

"Ah I wish my Big Bro was here." Nanako said whimsically as she continued to chase around Kanji and Teddie around the park with Rise in tow. It wasn't loud but it was enough to cause another sharp pang in Naoto's head very similar to this morning. There was a pattern here that was getting to her. Whenever she said his name it just 'resonated' with her. Was she doing it on purpose? How could she do something like that, it makes no sense.

"I see you're getting faster Nanako-chan!" Kanji called out as the little girl giggled as she followed around a set of benches with Rise and Chie watching on.

"What's on your mind Naoto-kun?"

Smiling as cheerfully as she could, she waved her hand away dismissing their question.

"I'm fine, I'm just grabbing some details for a case that Grandpa just sent through." Yosuke only just sighed with Yukiko giggling next to him.

"You are always working, you should come have some fun with us." Yukiko mentioned. Naoto was about to dismiss it and say things were fine but that would only make things worse. Whatever was happening to the others for the most part it didn't include herself which is worrying and strange. Either that or she was the one going mad, couldn't rule out that possibility.

"Sure I'm coming, Sorry about my distance today. I've just had a lot come in. It's really bizarre." The worker from Junes laughed.

"It's sod's law really. The one day you plan for times like this the other things keep popping up. While I don't have your style of work I can guarantee it's something that happens with everyone." The Innkeeper agreed.

"There have been so many times where I work on a day off because the Inn is overrun with guests. It's so strange but I can sympathise." A short nod came from the Sleuth as she hopped off the bench table.

"Yes exactly, I've just asked my Grandpa to wait until I'm home for more of the details so I shouldn't need my phone as much." The grin from Yosuke only got wider.

"Great! Anyway we don't have all day with Nanako so we might as well make the most of it."

"Mmm Let's,"

By the time they were done with the activities it was sunset already, the amber tint in the spring day brought an end to the fun and games. Just for the next couple of hours Naoto managed to forget about the on-going flux in her mind and relax looking after the younger Dojima. It felt normal, natural even to spend this amount of time with someone just relaxing and having fun. Having Nanako there was a stark reminder that the love of her life wasn't around at the moment and there was something odd about looking after Nanako without his smile accompanying her. Back at Junes they all parted ways and said goodbye and promised to meet up just before the final exams to cheer on the three who are about to take the big leap into the wider world. Naoto held back reminding the group that Souji would be back soon, she wanted to test a theory first and needed some time before she drew an accurate conclusion.

Her last task of the evening however was taking Nanako Dojima home back to her father. This in her mind was perfect due to Nanako being the only person other than herself that acted strangely compared to everyone else. It seemed that they were on the same wavelength about something, she just needed to pry into what it was.

"So did you enjoy today Nanako-chan?" She looked up at the Sleuth with a small smile and nodded lightly.

"Yeah, everyone just reminds me of Big Bro though..." The subdued tone and a voice of longing was something Naoto could relate too. She knew how that felt especially soon after Souji left.

"I understand, I want nothing more than to see him again." Catching the glance that Nanako shot her was one of general surprise.

"Really?"

The sound of confirmation was confusing. She knew that she dated Souji herself and they have spoken at length about missing him. It's a common bond they shared together. Why would it change now?

"Of course Nanako-chan. Why would I think otherwise? I think the only person that misses him more than me is you." The next sentence surprised Naoto even more.

"Oh that's good. When speaking to my Dad about it he tends to forget that he is even coming over soon. I've had issues where he's forgotten about things I've mentioned about Big Bro after a day. It's starting to worry me." Her solemn look was heartbreaking if not for the titbit of information that she just released.

"He's been forgetting Souji-kun?" Nanako nodded grimly. This gave her theory some sort of basis but she needed a better confirmation.

"Yes, it's really weird and has me worried. I thought it was me but today didn't feel right." A raised eyebrow from the Sleuth told her to continue. "You felt it too right?"

This situation suddenly felt like it was bigger than the both of them to Naoto with now her thoughts on what the hell was going on. She couldn't lie to Nanako, for making her feel like nothing is wrong and reassure that everything will be fine. It didn't _feel_ like that sort of scenario. She sighed and took a gamble.

"Yeah, I was feeling the same too. Like they forgot that Souji-kun was coming in a couple weeks." Nanako nodded her head quickly, agreeing in earnest.

"Exactly like that, didn't you find that strange?" The Detective nodded slowly.

"Very much so, it's concerning actually..."

"I felt bad for thinking I should tell off others forgetting. They are supposed to be his best friends. Yet they were forgetting about him visiting them. It seems really cruel but they were so nice to me I couldn't say anything. It seems like they didn't mean it..."

"Almost like it wasn't their fault..."

"Yeah..."

They walked back to the Dojima residence in relative silence as the both of them mulled over their conversation wondering how it got this way. When they got to her house Nanako used her key to get in, and pushed the door open. Before going in she turned to Naoto.

"Would you mind waiting here, I need to give you something." Naoto almost recoiled at the request but nodded anyway. "Dad I'm home, I'm just getting something for Big Sis."

"Oh I'm glad you're back and not too late..." Dojima came to the door and opened it slightly more ajar. "Hello there Shirogane-kun, how was Nanako today?"

A small smile pulled at her lips. "She was delightful. Hopefully she had fun."

Grunting in response he nodded. "I'm sure she did, she really wanted to come see you, I think she's been upset about something recently."

_Odd..._

Time to test a theory. "Have you heard from Souji-kun recently?"

He paused, like he was racking his brain for what she was referring too... "Souji... Ah yes my sister's kid. I haven't seen him in a while no? How come you bring him up?"

Ok now all the alarm bells were ringing in Naoto's head at once. "Nothing, forget I said anything."

He left her with a strange look as Nanako slipped past her father with a small bag in hand. She turned to her Dad.

"I'm just going to the vending machine, I'll be back." Nanako's free hand took hers as she pulled him away from the door with it closing behind her. The walk was only 15 seconds to the vending machine around the corner but it seemed to be the opening that Nanako needed.

"Here," Giving a small purse with coins in it. Naoto opened it up seemingly filled from just the vague count of a week's lunch money in it. The Sleuth's expression looks on wondering why she was given this, bemusement played on her face.

"Why are you giving me this Nanako-chan?"

"You are a detective right?" This wasn't helping.

"Y-Yes of course I am, why does that matter?"

"Big Bro told me you work on big cases and your family is famous. This is all I have but I want you to find my Big Bro."

Shell shocked, Naoto steps back. "Find him?"

She looked like she was on the verge of tears, like she didn't know where else to go. "I have a bad feeling I won't see him again, I can't get through to him and people are forgetting about him. I'm scared something has happened to him. I think he's missing."

"I... How can that..."

Then that familiar pain from today hit her again.

...

 _The vibrant glow of Okachimachi was something that is adored by anyone visiting but for him, the threat of his own shade drawing near keeps him on his toes. Not knowing what one tight corner has compared to another was starting to play tricks with his mind. The miasma_ _became_ _more potent, his brain starting to become away_ _as_ _it was growing thicker, hazier, dulling his senses even more so than before. Running his hand along the window, he noticed that the surface felt no different to him other than paper. The exact same texture as the brick he pressed up against earlier to catch his breath. Suddenly sensing that presence, he moved quicker, thankful his steps made no sound, to him anyway, as he used his knowledge to find somewhere to hide so he_ _could_ _recover._ _It feels_ _endless and the only thing he's wished for is_ _a way_ _to defend himself._

_He wanted to get back, he wanted to live but he wasn't sure how much his form will keep up before this place erodes him away or the shadows and silhouettes consume him for good._


	2. Day One: Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something about this is very wrong. Seems Naoto's gut feeling was correct about something.

_He found himself back in Akihabara, or what seemed to be Akihabara. The miasma was getting thicker. It almost felt suffocating but making out the bright lights in this strange evening tint was the only way markers he had. His body felt lighter, like his consciousness was slipping, or maybe it was sanity. At this point he wasn't sure if they had much time either. Something about this place was different than before. He could feel a secondary presence amongst the dense mist. Someone else was here, The thing stalking him was making itself known. Was it playing with him or was it finally time for it to collect. Wiping his brow he needed to move fast, there had to be a door or something that could even give him a moment or respite. Something in the background seemed different however. Squinting his eyes he noticed the train station was open this time round._

_Either a beacon of hope or an established trap, he had to make a decision now to go in..._

_The problem was that this mist was getting thicker and he would eventually suffocate to it or he could find a solution there. Taking his chances he bolted towards the bright light in the of the train station, only dimmed due to the smog taking over the area. At that point he noticed..._

_...The shutter doors were lowering down on him. Gritting his teeth he went for it and felt he was in distance but his time was shortening fast. Taking one last breath he hoped his slide would make it before it closed in on him..._

"Urgh..." Naoto shook her head of weariness. That last one was a lot more painful.

"You ok Big Sis?" She looked to her side to notice she was eye level with Nanako. She must have fallen to one knee in the pain. "You felt something weird?"

"Y-Yeah. Have you felt it too?"

"Yes, it really hurts and people at school get scared sometimes." Standing back up again, Naoto looked on before noticing she was still holding Nanako's purse. Frowning she offered it back.

"I can't accept this Nanako-chan." The younger girl's eyes widened in shock and then she looked down in sadness.

"You can't do it?" She sobbed. Naoto's heart almost broke in two hearing her sob.

"No that's not what I meant..." Watery eyes turned to her again. "Really I won't accept money to take on this case. This is something I have a vested interest in too."

Nanako seemingly caught on to what she meant because even through the sobs she pulled a small smile. "That's true..."

"While this is strange and I don't have much to go on, I'll do my absolute best. I'll find our Souji-kun, don't you worry."

"Thanks Big Sis, I didn't know who else I could turn to."

"Don't worry about it. I have a feeling I'll have to make a trip out of town for this case so I'll probably be away for a bit. I need you to stay strong and keep believing here."

"Oh ok... I wish I could come with you." As much as it hurt to deny the young girl Naoto was stern.

"I have a feeling if I bring you it will only make the case more dangerous. I can't have that, Souji-kun wouldn't think highly of me if I put his little sister in danger would he?" She nodded slowly.

"You're right."

"Good, now let's head back and I can keep you informed about what I plan to do. The best thing you could do is take care of yourself." She could tell that even with everything going on, that the acceptance of Naoto taking the case had put her mind at ease a little.

"Thanks again Big Sis." Naoto shot her one of Souji's signature grins.

"That's what I'm here for."

...

...

As soon as Naoto hit home she threw her notebooks on to the desk so she could get started on this urgently. Something in the pit of her stomach just said she had a lack of time to crack this case. The most frustrating thing about this is that whatever is happening with the rest of the team made it seem like she was working on her own, so this seemed like a solo venture. Quickly glancing at the bedside table picture of her and Souji only fuelled her preparation even more. Getting up from the desk she pulled out a suitcase from the in the wall wardrobe and threw it on the bed. She'll pack her bags after she's done taking notes but first she needed to speak to her grandfather about taking a leave of absence. It will probably fluster him that she is doing this, this close to her graduation but I'm sure he'll understand once she's back.

Picking up her phone she found her Grandpa's name and hit the call button. She was anxious but the need to get to the bottom of this case was something that overtook that. It only took a couple rings before-.

"Ah Naoto-chan how are things?"

"Hey Grandpa..."

There was a slight pause in her reply which she kicked herself for making her worry obvious.

"Is there something wrong?" She sighed a little then instantly regretted it because he probably heard her.

"Hey Grandpa, there is a case that I need to take..." There was a sound of surprise down the phone, a little unsure what was going on.

"Has it gone through the internal systems?" His tone was confused, wondering why he hadn't seen anything come up.

"No, this is a case given directly to me, I think a friend is in trouble. So I'm going to be heading to Tokyo for a week. Would you mind alerting the school that I'll be busy with work?" Matsuda sounded concerned and yet curious at the same time. He wanted details.

"A friend in trouble, you are going to need to give me more information than that. Also you only have one friend in Tokyo..." Naoto sighed. She would rather not have this conversation with him but being clean with him would be the best bet.

"I don't know if you remember Souji Seta?" His voice seemingly perked up at the name.

"Oh isn't that the young man you've been gallivanting with? Is he in trouble?" Naoto paused for a second noting two things. One he seemingly hadn't forgotten who he was and two the way he framed it only made her blush.

"Yes, yes that's him." She coughed awkwardly trying to get back on track. "I think something has happened to him in Tokyo and it's making me feel uneasy. His family members haven't been able to contact him for several days so I'm worried. I want to find out myself."

"Don't you think it's cutting it close to your finals." Naoto shook her head and dismissed it.

"Yes but I feel this is more important. I just have a gut feeling. I'll be back within a week and well in time for my finals." She heard him sigh. That was the sigh where she knew she was getting through to him.

"I want to say no but it seems that you have your heart set on this. If something is seriously wrong I want you to log it through the Estate if anything happens we can at least support you." She smiled, that's the first hurdle done.

"I will do Grandpa, can I book a flight for tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, just keep me updated with everything that is happening."

"Will do."

With that she dropped the call and took a seat at her desk. Looking at diary she used for the Inaba murder cases she looked back through that. She had the strangest feeling that it's possibly linked to it. While she had nothing concrete, the random memory loss of others, the selective headaches, that dream it all seemed to be something supernatural. Maybe going over her notes will find some clues. Putting on an alarm for an hour, she got to reading and opened up a new book to scribble down some notes as she read. Once she did this she would pack and get some sleep. She'll book a hotel on the way to the airport.

...

A couple hours later, she did the final zip on her suitcase that held it tight and took it off her bed. Happy that she got it out of the way she looked at the time and saw it said 8pm. She needed to be up by 5 so that should give her enough time for her 9:30 flight and land in Tokyo for 10:30. If she was going to do this case she would hit the ground running to make sure she gave herself as much time as possible. Looking at her phone she picked up and checked to see if the message she sent to Souji got through. She sighed noticing that it still hasn't. Out of instinct she pressed the call button causing her to ring him. She was hoping, in the pit of her stomach that he would answer and tell her it's all ok. That hope was dashed pretty quickly when it went right to a dead tone. If anything that was more concerning. Sighing, she put it by her bedside table and took her suitcase off the bed. Hopeful when she lands in Tokyo tomorrow morning she'll have some more answers. Now it's time for bed and to be fresh for tomorrow.

…

...

_Picking himself up from the ground, he sighed in relief as he heard the shutters close behind him with no sound. The lack of audio in everything around him was at least consistent. Dusting himself off the ground he noticed that there was a lack of miasma in the area for the first time in what felt like days he could see clearly. His eyes struggled to adjust to the now brighter light now the hazy filter had been removed, still the consistent blue tint was annoying like it was perpetual evening. The silence in the main plaza eerie but would take it over whatever was going on outside._

_Looking at the boards the times were all stuck at 03:34am. That made him all the more curious due to the station not being open at that time in Tokyo. All of the shop lights were still on, the message boards around the station were still lit but from what he could see with the text they were all backwards. A frown crossed his features. Soundlessly he hopped over the ticket barrier to investigate further. The ticket machines were still on but they had text that might as well be gibberish to him. He sighed knowing he wasn't getting anywhere. Might as well check the platforms…_

…

...

She felt herself wake up. Looking around for a second she was unsure where she was as put her hands on the floor. She was laying in water? The texture felt like it was but it didn't make her wet after. Shaking her head she lifted herself up, looking at the infinite azure seemingly going on forever. Naoto pushed herself on to her feet as she wondered where she was. She assumed she was still asleep and dreaming considering how this place looked. A relaxed breath that she was in her detective attire for the now. Least this isn't too embarrassing.

"Naoto!" Her head whipped around seeing a figure run towards her. The figure was familiar, one she hadn't seen in quite some time. She then realised who it was.

"Marie!" Naoto waved back. Souji had gone into quite a few details about her origin. If anything she was the perfect person to talk too about what has been going on. She kicked herself at not thinking of this sooner. Wait is this really happening, if she was dreaming then this isn't happening.

"I'm sorry for doing this to you." She started, trying to take a breath from running. That raised the question, where was she running from?

"Did what to me? Appear in my dream?" Shaking her head while doubled over, Naoto gave her a moment to recover.

"No, I made this dream. A friend of mine can use it to summon people similar to the velvet room but I only have the ability to recreate dreams so I'm using a similar style of magic if you want to call it that... Wait did Souji fill you in about the velvet room?" Naoto shrugged. Yes Souji mentioned it when he elaborated more about his powers and his ability to summon multiple Persona but a lot of it went over her head at the time. She kicked herself again for not paying attention to something that now seemed so important.

"Well I'll give you the tldr on this one. Basically it's a realm per say that allows him to communicate with the person he signed a contract with to start his journey. This gives him the ability to summon Persona and manage multiple ones. Basically the velvet room is where he sorts that stuff out, normally it takes form as a fragment of a person's imagination so his one was inside a limo from what I remember."

Naoto nodded. "Yeah he did say it was something like that. So I'm assuming this is mine?"

Now standing upright and with a small smile on her face, Marie shook her head. "No, this is something I had to come up with at short notice. Technically I can't use anything from your state of mind because you are not a Wild Card user."

"Wild Card user?"

"They are the chosen ones able to use multiple Personas, like your boyfriend. About that little detail, can't say I'm a little jealous..." The way she worded alone made Naoto's cheeks flared hotly.

"I-I see..."

"Normally my friend manages his stuff but she's nowhere to be found right now so I'm a little worried about it."

"Friend, you mean Margret?"

"Yes I'm glad you remember. I heard through the grapevine that you were going to search for Souji right?" The Sleuth's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"How do you know that information?" Marie scoffed nonchalantly. She opened her bag rummaging through it looking for something.

"I'm the deity of this land so give me some credit. Also like you something weird is going on but I've been unable to track what's been happening. Not like I can leave or anything so it's a good thing you are going hunting for this jerk. I'm actually worried about him." After some more continuous shuffling of the bag's contents she finally found what she was looking for. "Aha! Got it,"

"Is there something you need me to do?"

"Yes..." Lifting her hand out of her signature bag she offered what seemed to be a bright glowing blue key with a butterfly model on the handle. Naoto thought it was beautiful the way it shone in the dim light that they were in, mesmerised her. She couldn't take her eyes off it. "Take this," And placed it into the Sleuth's hand.

"Me? What can I use it for?" Marie's face turned serious. In an expression Naoto herself hadn't seen in a while.

"It's Souji's. I need you to give it to him before whatever happens to him happens." That was a very worrying thing to say...

"What do you mean by that? Do you know anything about what's going on?"

"Unfortunately I have nothing for you except one thing." She took a moment to make sure what she was saying was correct. "I've lost my social link connection with Souji."

"Wait _what?_ " That explains so many things in her head why her friends are starting to forget things related to him. But why was herself and Nanako not affected?

"Yeah it sounds stupid but that's the position I'm in. Luckily being a higher being and all my memory is unaffected, but that bond, the tether I share with him where I can feel what he feels and see what he sees is gone. I felt it _forcibly_ sever a couple days ago and I haven't been able to contact him to find out what is wrong. I tried talking to Margaret but that got nowhere as well since I haven't seen her, she only left me that. The only people that had a bond stronger than mine and Margret's to him was you and Dojima's little girl. I think that's the only thing holding your memories together of him for now."

Her information dump was more terrifying than what she thought because that was the absolute worst case scenario she had in her mind. This got from urgent to crisis level in no time flat. She had absolutely no time to lose.

"Thanks for the information Marie, I think that confirms a few hypotheses I had in my head about what was going on. I have to ask you said it was forcibly severed. What do you mean by that?"

"Like it was cut off by an external force. If Souji did it himself I'd feel some emotion, some anger or hatred toward me first before it's cut. I would have understood why but I'll still be able to get through to him in at least his dreams. I can't even do that anymore." Naoto's eyes widened.

"Are you saying-"

"No I'm not, I can still feel something. Plus if he moved on to the afterlife, me, Margret and yourself would all know. Whatever it is, it feels like a race against time and we don't have much to spare at all."

Naoto sighed thankfully. That's one immediate worry out of the way. "That's good. Anyway what do you think I should look for in Tokyo?"

"It's a bit of a long shot, but try and find Margret if you can. Also keep an eye out for blue glowing butterflies, it sounds cryptic but it's the best I can give you. If you find her, show her that key and she can guide you from there. As long as you have that in your possession you can contact me when you're asleep but considering how much time you have that is probably very limited."

"Thanks, this has been more helpful than you think."

"Oh I know exactly how useful it is. Hence why I did it. I don't want to lose that idiot anymore than anyone else, social link connection or not. He's still dear to me and that hasn't changed."

"You and me both." Feeling accomplished from this meeting, she smiled, a sense of home coming to her, a refreshing feeling considering how bleak things looked from a couple hours ago.

"Good, I can't keep you any longer, you need to be on your way. I'll contact you tonight to see how things are while I'll keep trying my Margret Until then best of luck. And be ready for anything."

Hearing Marie put it this way made her brutally aware just how high the stakes had gotten so quickly. Not only is there as a chance of us losing him, there is a chance we'll even forget him.

"I'll do everything in my power. You have my word."

"I'm glad. Take care." With that she pressed her finger against Naoto's forehead, a single bright light emitting from it before taking over the world around them completely.

...

It took a second but Naoto stirred awake as she put her hand to her head. The dream from last night is as crystal clear as the memories of yesterday. She couldn't really tell if it was real or not considering that her day and night cycles were becoming stranger. Sitting up she checked her alarm clock to see it was 4:50am in the morning. Just early enough to beat her alarm. This time however she felt refreshed and ready for the day. She felt something solid in her hand, opening it the fluorescent blue key shone brightly illuminating the room and the walls around her. The item itself felt warm, she could feel the essence, the soul of Souji coursing through it. She smiled knowing what her objective was. Getting out of bed She turned her alarm off and picked a fresh pair of clothes. A nice shower then, freshen up and she can organise a taxi to take her to the airport. A lot on the line but the contact with Marie had done wonders to her morale.

"Hold on Souji-kun, I'm coming..."

…

...

_Slowly ascending the stairs he quickly noticed the boards' incoherent text becoming more and more irrational the higher in platform numbers they were. Majority of them were gated off, the shutters making it pretty clear that entry was prohibited. Fortunately at this point he's being used to railroaded into wherever he needed to be. The ability to breath was a welcome addition however. Jogging up another set of escalators, he noticed just how dense the mist had become. He wished he could use something to help him see but at this point he figured it out on his own. He was too far from home for help and it was a matter of time before whatever was looking for him found him. Had he resigned to his fate, no but he was realistic that the possibilities of making it out alive was as close to 0 as you can get, and that is including a miracle as well._

_Saying that he was one to never give up from what he could piece together so why start now..._


	3. Day Two: Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The investigation begins, however things are already not what they seem...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is chapter 3, nothing much here but it's about the start where things get moving. Hopefully things continue to make sense and it continue to be enjoyable as a story. Again I've messed around with the lore of the universe so things maybe not be exact but hey sorry about that. Also I'm using all Manga names for the characters because I'm super old like that so if you are unsure of the name the wiki will tell you the character they are associated with.

**Day Two: Theory**

_It wasn't until he hit platform 6 on the 4th level until he saw one of the shutters open. Greeting him was the thick miasma he became so accustomed. Eying it suspiciously, he slowly pushed forward through the mist instantly cutting off the clear oxygen that was situated inside the rail station. He braved it knowing how taxing it was becoming as he waded through it, the presence he felt earlier seemed to be gone but kept on his toes. From his knowledge of this area, he hoped that the backup plan of moving through the subway was viable or he wouldn't be able to get out of this station. Being stuck would be a problem if whatever was getting at him could make it in. He would have nowhere to go and he can't hide. That thing doesn't chase by normal means like sight and sound. Maybe_ _it's the smell_ _but it's not like he could tell with what's going on with his senses._

_The platform was deserted; the lack of breeze was unnerving especially this high up. It felt like the air stood still which just helped the miasma grow and thicken. He would ask for a typhoon but at this point it would probably make it worse. It was dense enough that even seeing if there was a train incoming would be difficult._

_..._

_..._

Naoto was waiting in the line for security at the airport, her suitcase already in hold as she was making her way down to her flight. Checking her phone's message, the one she sent to Souji still hasn't arrived. Quickly before she was going to get searched she sent a quick message to Rise informing her that she will be gone for a period of time.

_'HEADING TO TOKYO TEMPORARILY FOR WORK. HOPING TO SEE SENPAI'_

And hit send, hopefully they won't freak out at her temporary absence. She was sure it was fine and nothing would come of it. If everything went to plan she could drag Souji back with her too if he didn't want to stay in the city. Considering what is happening that might be a thing she has to worry about. She was about to put her phone away for security but the small bleep of a notification grasped her attention but the message in return made her clench her eyes shut in both frustration and sadness.

_'I hope it goes well but which Senpai? They are all here in Inaba. Who are you referring too?'_

Instantly Naoto shut off her phone out of anger and loaded it into the security trays for them to go into the scanner, making a mental note not to turn it on until she got to Tokyo. She didn't have the heart to answer that. She didn't even want it on record on her phone once this whole thing was sorted. The thought that she acknowledged that others believed Souji didn't exist made her tremble. That would be just as much as giving up in her eyes. Shoving it to one side in her mind, she left it. Not wanting to get involved anymore because it would only leave her to be unfocused for the rest of the trip.

"Come on up," The security guard said as Naoto stepped through the metal detectors. To routine they didn't go off meaning she could take her hand luggage and head to the gate. She was still in good time so she could work out a plan of action. The good thing is that her flight took her into Hanada airport meaning she could spend a lot less time getting into Tokyo allowing more time to investigate. Also she needed to look up both where he lived and where in university he had been too last. If people are starting to forget him, physical documents are absolutely the best way to prove that he's missing and to put a timeline to his disappearance. Luckily she visited Souji in Tokyo so she knew where he lived, so hopefully there will still be something there that she can use to move the investigation forward. She could finish this up when she lands. For now she'll get the search paperwork done for his apartment.

...

Within a couple hours she felt the plane touchdown at Hanada airport. The first important step of her investigation completed, actually arriving in decent time. It had been a while since she'd been here. Memories of her boyfriend flooding through her mind as she looked at the arrivals section windows. All she could do was remember the last time she landed here. She had been looking forward to it for months and wanted nothing more but to stay in his arms while she was here. A part of her hated the fact that whatever was going on here he was facing alone. He didn't have any of the other team to support him which might have saved whatever trouble he was facing now. Pushing it aside, she saw the plane starting to taxi, signifying it was time to get ready to take on the big city. The first stop she planned to make was his apartment.

...

...

_Stepping away from the platform, he suddenly realised that the mist was so dense he couldn't see his hand in front of him. That was enough of a warning to get out of dodge. He needed to head back to the station so with his basic orientation skills he backtracked, heading to the stairs taking him to the lower levels. The mist was also having the secondary effect of dulling his senses. The sixth sense he relied upon to keep himself out of the way of whatever was following was going in this mist. He assumed that was the point, to bring that claustrophobic feeling to make sure he was easier to pick off. Whatever was chasing him, it was a sound strategy. It kept him on his toes and stopped him from learning_ _too much_ _about this place while keeping him moving. Maybe the station's subway could offer more answers. It seemed to be the best place right now and whoever opened for him he'll be grateful too. Unless that same person ends up murdering him..._

_..._

_..._

_As long as it's quick, that's the most he would ask for..._

"Yes I'm with the Shirogane Detective Estate." The security guard behind the counter looked confused as he read the search form done through Tokyo Metropolitan Police just an hour prior. She managed to get strings pulled from her Grandfather to be able to see the apartment.

"This is at short notice but if it's official I can't say no. Would it just be you?" Naoto nodded.

"Just for now yes, I might return with others a little later depending on what's going on." He grunted in response as he handed back the sheet of paper.

"Understandable, interesting that you are looking for one Seta Souji however..." Perking up at his unusual wording, she motioned for him to continue. "Oh he seemingly moved out a couple days ago interestingly enough, I haven't been in there since then. They needed to pick up some stuff after but they haven't returned since."

That bit of information is very useful. He's moved out, yet his ties were cut by another being. Could she be dealing with another supernatural entity? She had a feeling that Souji is nothing but a pawn in a greater chess game unfortunately. She'd have to tread carefully if she wanted to know more. Walking with the security guard until they went up a couple of stairs the recognisable door of her boyfriend's apartment was all too surreal. There was a part of her mind that didn't want to check, she was scared of what she might find. Taking in a small breath, she pushed away the lingering emotions to try and keep focus; she wanted to be as objective as possible.

The guard unlocked the door and pushed it open revealing a dark room inside.

"Go on, it's all yours to search, I'll wait out here and let me know if you need anything." A quick and curt nod as she pushed the door open as it creaked. She flicked the light to no reaction. Frowning, she did it again to realise it wasn't working at all. Was there no power? She pulled out a pocket touch from her jacket and shone it on the light to see that the bulb had been taken out. The frown only grew wider as she shone the small light on the floor. It looked like there had been a fight here. Chairs knocked over, various items strewn on the floor. Whatever happened here, Souji didn't go willingly. Her eyes instantly stared at the large wide screen TV. She resisted the urge to jump as her immediate solution. She couldn't do that on her own, it was too dangerous. She wished she had the team so they could investigate together.

Shaking her head, she continued to look as she crossed the living room. Pushing open the door she peered into his room. The same one she visited more than half a year ago. The bed wasn't made up at all, like it's been used recently. She also sensed that this room had been heated more recently than a couple days ago, the light haze of the higher temperature was obvious in the atmosphere. Her eyes focused around the bedroom, clothes were spewed across the room like whoever was here was searching for something or possibly various things.

She noticed that the curtains of the room were closed. Meaning the room was basked in darkness. Moving to the window, she pulled the blinds open to find that the window had been covered by a black cardboard sheet, obscuring the light from coming in. Naoto scoffed.

_'Amateur hour...'_

She tried to tug the boards down but noticed that the industry tape used was pretty firm, pulling out a pocket switchblade, she cut around the edges, using the bed to get a little higher half way through until the sheets started to give way. Careful pulling it back, she placed it on the floor under the window. The light instantly flooded into the room as everything in the room brightened up from the early spring sun. Naoto covered eyes for a second as the change of brightness confused her senses for a second. Looking back at the room, she smiled due to a lot more of the room being visible that her pocket torch didn't catch. Putting her blade away and then turning off her touch she carried on her search for clues. What the daylight did reveal was the sheer amount of chaos the room was in. This confirmed her suspicions that the last person in here was searching for something rather than a fight broke out.

Moving towards the desk, multiple things caught her eye. Her eyes widened at what she found. Quickly putting on a pair of gloves so she didn't contaminate anything considering how important some of this stuff looked, she then shuffled through multiple sheets of papers which seemed to be identification documents. Her eyebrows furrowed as she read through some of the documents, becoming more and more confused as she carried on.

"Change of identity..." Flicking through a bunch of them she started to notice a pattern. "...It's like Souji-kun was trying to be someone else..."

Turning more of them over she started to check the personalised stamps and date noting some of them were only filled out a day or so ago. Her hunch was it was recent in that whatever or whoever had been staying here for the time being, possibly masquerading as Souji possibly. She wasn't aware of any shape shifters from the other world but there was also a lot she didn't know about it either to confirm that theory. But considering what these papers were saying, that person might not be Souji Seta but is trying to turn Souji Seta into someone else. Under the set of papers she saw a passport. Opening it up, she smiled knowing this was Souji's. Looking back at the rest of the room this was probably what the assailant was looking for earlier. Some of the documents on the table needed his passport to be filled out. To get this to go through would be insanity in her mind; it wouldn't have worked unless whatever the perpetrator had was something they could do to impersonate her boyfriend physically. Having a feeling his Passport would come in handy, she slipped it into a small plastic bag and placed it into her pocket. At least without it they couldn't carry on these documents without it.

Looking back through these papers she noticed something else of interest. It was the person that Souji wanted to become. Her eyes read it over and over again trying to work out who it was. The name was awfully familiar, one she heard before from a previous case.

"M-Minato Arisato..." Where did she hear the name from? She remembered it came up from someone else in their group's wider stratosphere seemingly linked with the world of Persona. Who else could it have been...?

"Oh that's it..." Quickly she took all of the important parts of the papers and placed it in another plastic sleeve before putting them away into her side messenger bag. This investigation just became wider than she expected. She'd have to make some phone calls once she was back at her hotel to an old contact. Seemingly nothing else she stood up from the desk but not before searching the drawers. Noticing they had nothing of value she checked his wardrobe to see if there was anything in there. Sets of clothes were missing but others were already pressed and ready to be worn. Some had been pulled out and left as a mess at the bottom cabinet.

Rummaging through the pile of shirts she eventually got to the bottom where she found the sheathe of his Toukasa blade. Her eyes widened as she lifted it. This means that the person responsible has either taken it, Souji had it with him wherever he is or it might be somewhere else in the apartment. Holding it in her right hand she checked under his bed and found nothing of use, frowning she hoped that there was something more than could clue him in to his current whereabouts.

The Sleuth shook her head as she left the room but left the door open so more of the day light from the bedroom window would flood into the living room. It wasn't much but it gave her a better perspective on the room. Once again switching on her touch she headed to the bathroom and opened up.

...Nothing...

It was like it's been untouched for the past few days. Not even a hint that it's been used unlike his room, she flicked the switch and noticed that it didn't respond. Pointing her torch to the ceiling, the light had once again been taken out. Whoever was in here must have broken in and taken out all of the lighting to make sure they couldn't be seen. No way would Souji does it himself, it makes absolutely no sense. Looking around the bathroom there was nothing out of the ordinary, her sharp eyes making sure every corner was checked. Whoever was here didn't need the bathroom, or went elsewhere often.

She walked back out, heading into the kitchen, without even flicking on the switch she checked to see if the light had been removed. Naoto sighed figuring she was correct that the bulb was missing. Walking over the counter top it seemed untouched from the last time it was used. The counter was cold, lifeless as with the couple used dishes in the sink. Not many, just the odd bowl and set of chopsticks. It was a habit of Souji's if he'd just finished dinner. Putting a hand to her chin should deduct that whenever this attack happened, it was in the evening. In her silent thinking, she could hear the soft whirl of the electric meter in the cupboard above the counter. Checking it, she pulled out her notepad and wrote down the current reader number. It's something she can double check with the local power company. After finishing with that she quietly closed the cabinet door. The kitchen itself, like the bathroom, managed to avoid the chaos unlike Souji's living room and bedroom. Which makes her think it must have been localised to those two areas. Putting her pad away and lifting up the sheathe to Souji's weapon she went back into the living room.

Shining her torch on the ground, Naoto noticed something reflecting back at her through the debris and clothes on the floor. She reached down and started to push the rubbish away, and shining back at her was Souji's weapon. Looking at the metal work, it was scuffed meaning it was used and did some deflecting she summarised. Considering it's under this much rubble, it seemingly must have been knocked out of his hand early in the fight. Picking it up off the floor, she examined it again for any traces of blood which to her surprise was none.

_'He must have not been able to land a hit or whatever he was fighting doesn't bleed.'_

Sheathing his weapon, she took it in her left and as she looked around the room for more. Checking her watch she's realised that she'd been in her for about 40 minutes. Whatever was staying here in the meantime is bound to come back for what it was working on. Staking out might not be a good idea currently when she still doesn't know what she was dealing with. She also had a contact to use especially with the name Minato Arisato is involved. While it's worrying that a dead person's name has come up, maybe Kirijo Group will be able to fill in the blanks.

Stepping out of the apartment, she motioned to the security guard,

"Sorry I've taken up so much of your time I'll-" Naoto looked around to see them not there completely. She assumed he was going to stay so he could lock up after but that was worrying. Shaking her head the Sleuth assumed that he must have gone back down stairs to his office, which she thought was unprofessional but she shrugged. She had much bigger things to worry about at the moment. Closing the door behind her she went down the three flights of stairs back to the main entrance where she peered into the Security Office's public window to see no one there.

_'What the hell...'_

Taking her notepad out and scribbling down a note before ripping it out to let him know that she had left and to lock up, Naoto pushed it into the gap under the window as she left the Nakano apartment complex, Souji's sword in hand.

...

...

_The_ _station's_ _bright lights and mist less air was comforting to his senses as he found his way back into the main concourse of the station. Akihabara station had always been nice but he'd never been as happy to see it as now. The walk around to the subway entrance was far but not far enough that it was a problem to get too. The fresher air was the first time in a while it felt like progress, and considering how the things around him worked, this is the sort of thing that just doesn't happen for the sake of happening. This world is the world where everything happens for a reason or for a purpose. So before he makes any more progress this is the place he must figure out, also if whatever was chasing him was still going it would have gotten him by now._

_Hopping over the ticket barriers, he noticed the lights dimmed on the lower level where the stairs descended. He didn't have a light but his eyes could still see which in this situation is better than nothing. So slowly he walked down checking his flanks just in case anything leapt out from the side. It felt like heading into the abyss, but this time he'd hope there would be nothing staring back at him._

_..._

_..._

Naoto was back at her hotel in Shibuya as she threw Souji's weapon onto the bed and collapsed into the love seat in the room. Running her hands over her face she sighed, while this is no different to any other case she's dealt with in the past in terms of procedure, the emotional weight was taxing. She wanted nothing more than to see her Souji again and be with him. She knew time was ticking but luckily she still had the rest of today left to cover as much ground as possible. It felt like the Inaba murder cases again with how tight the deadline was but instead of having the team, she was working on her own. Growling in frustration, Naoto pounded the arm of the love seat in anger. She was angry that it's gotten like this, angry that she was alone, and angry that this happened while he was alone.

_'Come on now, don't wallow in self pity, you don't have time for it. He doesn't have time for it.'_

Taking a breath, she lifted herself out of the seat and opened the contents of her bag and placed the plastic sleeve on the hotel room's desk. Taking the papers out of the sleeve she examined them, and what the requests that it was trying to make in the transfer of identity.

_'Bank details, living arrangements, current education, former achievements...'_

This person calling themselves Minato Arisato seemed to want to take Souji's place in life. Was resurrection possible and he had nowhere to go? Or did he need Souji's body to make himself a new one?

_'That all sounds so silly but I can't shake it'_

Picking up her phone she dialled a very rarely used number hoping she could get to the one person who could answer its calls. Looking at the time it was still before 6 so hopefully she's still in her office. The tailing tone started as the phone call started to establish a connection. It rang once, then twice and a thi-.

"Hello, Kirijo Mitsuru office speaking, do you have an appointment, if not you'll have to book one." Naoto was pleased that she got through.

"No I don't have an appointment-"

"Then you'll need to make one first before contacting this line."

"My name is Shirogane Naoto from the Shirogane Detective Estate. I need to speak to her about a case I'm working on." The receptionist on the line hesitated for a moment, now knowing who was on the line.

"If it's about police matters we have a separate department for this-"

"It's about someone called Minato Arisato." The person on the other side of the line paused completely. The name must have triggered something Naoto thought because she heard them sigh over the line.

"Give me a minute; I'll see Kirijo-san is free."

"Thank you,"

With that she was put on hold. It wasn't a bad thing because it allowed her to take on a couple more notes before their conversation. She was aware that she had nothing to lose to bring this up, and if someone is trying to run around as someone who Mitsuru is dear with then it's just as much of a problem for her as Souji's disappearance is for herself. The fact that said person is dead as well should set off more than a few set alarms for the owner of one of the biggest technological companies in Japan.

"Hello, Kirijo Mitsuru speaking,"

"Kirijo-san, sorry to interrupt your day but I have some important information to bring to you."

"That is fine; especially with the content of this conversation will be a thorny subject to say the least." Naoto nodded in agreement. Seems she's grasped just how important this is very quickly.

"Well Kirijo-san I'm currently investigating a disappearance at the moment and a name that you are familiar with came up."

She heard Mitsuru hum in agreement to her words. "Is the name Arisato Minato correct?"

"Yes,"

She heard her sigh over the phone, one filled with a lot of sorrow and painful memories. Naoto felt guilty for having to bring a lot of that back up again. "Where did you see his name? Are you sure it's not someone who just happens to have the same one?"

"Actually I found it in a set of change of identification papers..."

A slight pause, "Really?"

"Yes really. I wouldn't lie about that."

"Was someone planning to change their name to Minato-kun or vice versa?" Naoto stopped for a minute, making sure to look over a couple of the documents again before replying.

"Actually it was to change the identity of one Souji Seta to Minato Arisato." Mitsuru almost jumped out of her chair.

"What!? As in your Wild Card user? What in god's name is he playing at?"

"Hold on Kirijo-san there is more to this." Naoto said calmly. Hopefully her tone could tame her anger. "The problem is with all of this is that Souji-kun has gone missing."

" _What!?_ " Yeah that's a fair enough response.

"Yes, I'm currently investigating his disappearance and I'm aware it's not of his own volition either. Someone has kidnapped and displaced him and I think something related to Personas are involved."

The line paused again for a minute. Seems that Mitsuru was contemplating her options. "It would have to be if both Seta-san and Minato-kun are both involved. Do you have anything else to support your claim that something else is going on?"

The Sleuth frowned, going over the memories of yesterday. "My friends- Our group has begun to forget our interactions with him. From what I've known since this morning they don't remember who he is."

"That is highly concerning."

"I agree, and someone who was aware of the dealings of the velvet room has informed me that her personal connection to Souji in the form of her social link has been severed by a third party."

"Third party? But how?"

"I'm not sure. I wish I could tell you. I'm investigating now and I managed to uncover these documents of someone trying to impersonate the two of them. Souji is nowhere to be seen since a few days ago. I've just come from his apartment but I might be able to cover his University before the night comes in. I just thought it was good to inform you that someone of your interest is possibly involved in this case."

"Hmm..." She heard Mitsuru hum to herself like she was contemplating something. "How come you haven't been affected by this selective memory loss?"

Naoto was about to answer but blushed instead. She just remembered that bit of information hadn't been known to anyone not from their group. "From what I've been told from my contact from the velvet room, my errm... ...Deeper bond keeps my memories of him intact. It might be something else though."

This got Mitsuru's interest.

"Deeper bond?"

"I'm dating Souji-kun,"

"I see... Where are you now?" Naoto hesitated. Would it ruin everything if she disclosed her location?

Could the Kirijo Group be involved in some way?

It may not be Mitsuru herself but something to do with them is wrapped up in this...

...No, she was on her own and someone knowing where she is might be something that comes in handy later.

"I'm currently in a hotel in Shibuya. Souji-"

"Keep your phone close; I'll be in Tokyo by tonight. Anything with Minato-kun demands my immediate attention, even if it's a faker. I need to set an example to anyone who thinks they can get away with it." The Sleuth was taken back, she didn't expect support.

"I-Sure... Are you sure you want-"

"Think nothing on it. I appreciate letting me know when you did. Since we both have a vested interest in this operation, it would be my best interest to help you. Also Seta-san is still a friend to me so the least I can do is offer a hand of assistance. And considering your situation you don't have many options in allies either." She was right about that as much as it hurt her pride.

"Yeah, you are correct…"

Anyway, continue what you were doing but stay out of trouble. I'll see you by tonight. Take care."

"Take and thank you Kirijo-san," With that the line went dead. Tilting her head to the side, the thought of support in a case as time sensitive as this made things a little easier. The hope was starting to crawl back in. Looking out of the window, she saw the sun start to set. That means she's got a limited amount of time to head to Tokyo University and to find out what's going. Placing the documents into the hotel room safe with Souji's passport, she closed it and put her bag over her back and grabbed her jacket.

Still no time to lose...

...

...

_The light was enough to see ahead of him. Much better than the thick miasma from the ground level. The air was also clean so he could react without feeling out of breath. His legs were tired however and the feeling of being on his feet for however long he has been in here had really_ _started_ _to take its toll. Leaning against one of the tile_ _walls_ _, he let his weary legs rest a second, sensing no immediate danger. Still keeping alert, he had a finite amount of time in this place before he completely withers away. Opening his phone again the dreaded 'no signal' appears with the time still frozen since it came too. This world was like nothing he's experienced before. Hopefully he would find answers if he continues, or a way to end it all. Either one at this point._


	4. Day Two: Evaluation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is ticking. We'll see how Naoto does under pressure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Chapter 4 of this story as it starts to truck on. We are starting to get to the business end of it now so you should see the story start to flesh out and become more open at this point. Anyone reading I hope you are going to take some guesses on what you think might happen because I'm always curious on what people might think. Anyway I hope you enjoy.

_Akihabara station without the people was strange, the silence was daunting and the loneliness was less than ideal. He couldn't even remember his own name anymore. The only thing left in his decaying mind now was just to keep pressing forward in hope that he would leave be himself again. The silence of the Akihabara subway gave him time to think, actually no, thinking tends to make his situation worse. Walking down the subway platform, the tube lights flickered in intervals, illuminating his path like it was sending codes. He wished it meant something, he wished it was something more than it was. He wasn't sure what it was going to be._

_Stumbling his way through, maybe there would be a way to end this madness physically and mentally._

Naoto was a little annoyed as she taxi pulled up at the front of Tokyo University. She had to double back to her hotel room to grab the azure key that she had gotten from Marie earlier. She had a feeling that she would need it, especially for seeing Mitsuru after being done at Todai. She knew Souji had a work office for his studies of psychology in the law building. She'd been there a couple times when she stayed with him. He was nice enough to show her around as she was a soon to be student. It being near sunset gave the campus this ominous orange tint to the skies. The thing that worried Naoto is that she was now afraid of something as simple as the cycle of day because of it's a visual aspect of time moving forward. Something she knew deep down she didn't have much of. She knew she had to make every search count.

"Here we are," She told herself softly. Unfortunately she didn't have any way of getting in the West building without security; hopefully they have one on sight. It was just her luck she saw someone come out of the main entrance. It was the perfect opportunity for herself to slip in without having to call a guard to help her out. Once inside she set herself to head to the third floor. The building was open ended with multiple floors, large windows so you could see outside from almost any room. Would be very hard for anyone to do something here and no one would notice. If anything went down here something would have been reported.

Finally getting to his floor, she found the room number of his makeshift office he shared with other students. Luckily it was empty like most of the building. She tried the door and saw it was unlocked. Smiling at her continuous luck she slid it open and went on through and closed it gently. She'll stick out like a sore thumb here so she had to be quick. Running over to his desk, she saw some of the documents he had been working on with his name on it confirming it. She flicked through documents hoping to find something that might clue her in about where he was. Unfortunately it was nothing but old graded assignments on the desk.

She groaned, annoyed that this might be a dead end. She was about to leave when she saw a folder that took her interest.

In a green binder standing up right she pulled out from the rest, her eyes glued to the title.

_'The Five Senses on How they Define Humanity and Self'_

Opening the binder she read the opening that talked about the 5 senses, and how they dictate so much. It was a pretty interesting insight to how Souji saw things and she only got this from the introduction. She put the detail down in her mind to read more of his papers. It could be something that she picked up at a later date. She was about to close the binder when she heard the sliding door to the office open instead.

"Excuse me... Shirogane-san?" Turning to the woman who just entered the room, she raised an eyebrow in confusion at how she knew who she was.

"Err, hello there, how do you know who I am?" She blinked for a second to look for the right answer.

"Well you are standing over Seta-san's desk and from what I've interacted with him, I know you two are dating, he's talked about it..." Naoto's face flared up red at the mention of his relationship with her. "...Also I'm a law student. The Shirogane family comes up in our curriculum as a case study so anyone who knows anything on Japanese law knows about you and your family. It's a bit like having a celebrity in the building with you here."

"Oh I see. I'm glad we get recognition but it's not like it's important to us. Sorry for disturbing you, I was looking for Souji-kun; I'm in the area and haven't seen him." She tilted her head. Looking slightly confused,

"It's good you mentioned it, I haven't seen him in a couple days. He's normally here every day working on his papers or any new ideas he's come up with. This is the longest I've seen him not being in this office for a long time. Do you think something has happened to him?" Naoto's expression was down cast. This was what she feared, that his University had nothing to do with him going missing.

"Yes I do. I decided to come down and find out for myself but there is still missing a lot of details. I was hoping I would find something here but nothing consequential has come up unfortunately. When was the last time you saw him?"

She leaned against the wall next to the door. "Well I saw him three days ago actually. This was the last time since he's come into this office from what I'm aware. He was heading home to get dinner and to get ready to finish stuff at home because he couldn't stop talking about wanting to see you." Her blush returned with a vengeance as she looked down at her toes for a second, flustered.

"I see... Well I don't think I'll find much here but you've been a great help. I'd take my leave and I promise I'll find him. You two seem good friends." She shook her head.

"We just happen to work in the same room together. I'm just glad someone is watching over him, he seems like a handful."

"He can be, I just want to say thanks again."

"Any time, I hope you find him." She concluded as Naoto left through the sliding doors from which was where she came last time.

_Walking down the subway platform, He noticed there was a dead end as soon as he hit the other end of the platform. The shutters that lead back up to the concourse_ _were_ _closed so either he had to go back where he came and move along the track on the 4th floor or find a way through the underground. The barriers were still up even though all trains stood still, unmoving, pausing in the eternal wait for passengers. Looking on, one thing seemed out of place, it was the guard door for the platform leading to the side path walk way of the tunnels. Only one was open, the metal gate flapping in the nonexistent wind. Being the best side that he might be going in the right direction he moved on past to find the_ _walkway_ _, well lit with ceiling lights and lights on the walls making it bright enough to traverse in. Considering his options, this is the best one and one detail he's learned which he hoped not to forget is that walking a_ _building_ _or underground stops him from wasting away or decaying, whichever one the miasma does to him._

It was now 7:30pm as Naoto stood in the busy streets of Shinjuku. She got a massage from Mitsuru that she was in the area and they just needed a place to meet. There was a lot of people walking through the signature junction in Shinjuku in its droves, completely unaware what's going on around them. It annoyed her that people were just carrying on their life as normal, without a care in the world, while she was in a race against time to save someone where she had no idea where he was. There was a sense of envy about the whole thing. Sighing she guessed that's what the rest of the team was going through, living in a state of ignorance, that in itself was painful, seeing one man who gave up so much and for his allies involuntarily forgetting who he was when he needed them most. Almost a fate cruller than death it seems.

"Shirogane-san?" Naoto perked up at the call of her name as she turned around to the adjacent street. Out of the limousine, stepped out a well dressed lady with long crimson hair carrying an aura more intimidating that most of the people she ran into. Just as she stepped out she peered into her limo again seemingly giving instructions before it drove away. "Sorry for my lateness, there was traffic in the intercity area."

Naoto shook her head. She wasn't going to complain if she had the head of the Kirijo Group helping her. "Think nothing of it. I haven't been here for long at all."

Mitsuru cracked a smile, a rare one. "Well as repayment, let's grab some food and discuss what's going on here. Have you eaten?"

Naoto was about to say something to dismiss it to say she was fine but the word food made her stomach grumble. She hadn't stopped to eat since eating on the plane this morning.

"As much as I would like to say I'm fine I think my stomach would disagree."

All Mitsuru could do was shake her head. "Pushing yourself I see. Well I know somewhere that's good. I promise we won't take long."

Naoto herself smiled at Mitsuru's words. She's noting just how important this case was to her and time sensitive. She could appreciate that. "If that's the case, please lead the way."

The walk to the establishment was in silence, Naoto noted that Mitsuru wanted to keep all the talking for the dinner table. She was fine with it because with all the sounds and sights of Shinjuku, it was all a bit distracting. She'd spent so much time in quiet places as of late the contrast was a little jarring. She was thinking over the things she'd see and been through, and how to put them in a way where it makes sense for someone else wanting to know. By the time she had her head out of her thoughts they stopped at a building.

"We are here; he's situated on the third floor. Sorry about the stairs." Her look was apologetic but humour in this situation was nice.

"I wish stairs was the toughest thing I had to deal with." Mitsuru's smile grew a little wider.

"Don't we all. Come," With that the pair walked up the small set of stairs to a small restaurant it seemed to be quiet with not that many people in there. The man at the front was wearing a white shirt and black slacks with bartender's cloth wrapped around his waist, with brown messy hair. His face lit up at the sight of Mitsuru. He grinned.

"Ah I didn't think we'd have celebrities tonight. What brings you here and also why do you never warn me that you are coming?" She shook her head.

"I'm here because of a memory of the past. Sorry to be vague. Also I don't say anything to keep you on your toes Hirigashi-san. You'd prepare better food if you knew I was coming. Consistency is the key to business as they say."

He scoffed, unperturbed by her words. His laugh carried through the building. "That's true; I'll keep that advice on board. Anyway, what can I help you with?"

"Table for two, in the back please. What we need to discuss is confidential and while I highly doubt anything will come of it keep an eye out."

It took a minute for him to catch up but he nodded at what she was getting at. He answered in a hushed voice. "Oh I get you, consider this place secure, go to the back and it's the door to your left, it's a little big but it's sound proof for bigger groups. I hope it provides you with what you need."

"Thanks Hirigashi-san, I'll make sure I tip well." He laughed out loud.

"No complaints from me."

With that both Naoto and Mitsuru walked through until they found the allotted room and slid the door open. The room was easily made for eight people like he said but it was a little jarring having so much space for the two of them. Both of them took a seat, quickly getting comfortable.

"Want to skip the pleasantries?" Mitsuru gave Naoto one of the menus that were neatly in a pile in the middle of the table. She took it graciously.

"Would you mind?" Shaking her head, her expression was one of understanding.

"If I had a loved one in danger the way you do now I would as well, go on catch me up." Naoto sighed, quickly scanning through the menu and picking out what she wanted before she started.

"So yesterday I started getting these weird dreams and headaches and I thought absolutely nothing of it until I started to notice the Investigation Team seemingly forgot about Souji's planned appearance in a couple weeks to help me move to Tokyo with him. Everyone seemingly forgot this except his surrogate sister Nanako." The memories of that day were a lot more painful than they were before. Nanako's words run in her head about the cruelty of it all.

"I see..." Mitsuru's frown was apparent. She poured the Sleuth a glass of water before sliding it over.

"So once I found out something was wrong, no messages were getting through, the team's memory got worse. I packed up and headed to Tokyo this morning to find out what's going on. First place I went to was his apartment-" There was a knock on the door. Mitsuru pressed the button on the table signalling it was good to come in.

One of the other waiters walked in, it was obvious he had been given orders to leave them in peace by his nervousness.

"Can I take your order?" They both nodded and gave the waiter their choices before he quickly disappeared to leave the pair alone to carry on the conversation.

"So carry on Shirogane-san, what did you find at the apartment?" Naoto looked to the side for a moment, trying to turn the garbled mess in her mind to coherent words.

"Well this living room and bedroom was a complete state. It was obvious that a battle took place in his living room. And whoever fought Souji-kun had been staying there for a period of time after the fact. His room was warmer than the other rooms and his bedroom looked like it's been rummaged through."

Mitsuru put a finger to her chin in thought. "Squatting in someone's apartment after trying to murder them, that is quite something."

"I know, when looking on Souji-kun's desk in his apartment, that's when I found the change of identification documents on his table. There seemed to be new, and the ink from the stamp felt fresh like it was done almost that morning. I can't imagine Souji-kun doing anything like that himself."

Shaking her head, the head of the Kirijo group took a sip of water. "That would be very unlike him. Did you bring the documents with you?"

"No, I thought it would be dangerous to have them out just in case someone was following me. I have them back at the hotel room, if you mind coming with me back there after I can show them to you."

Mitsuru nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. What about your contact with the member of the velvet room, her name was Margaret if I remember correctly from what Seta-san said last time."

The huff from Naoto sounded like a negative, but expressed her desire to carry on. "Not quite, we have a local god if you will. The will of Izanami lives among us in Inaba; she has the ability to control the weather..."

"Control the weather? That's absurd..."

Not elaborating on that bit of information she carried on. "We knew her in her previous form as Marie. She previously had access to the velvet room before and knows Souji-kun and his dealings in there. From what I've spoken to Marie about Margaret is nowhere to be seen since the incident so Marie figured she is a key to solving this puzzle..."

"Have you had a chance to see her yet?" Naoto only shook her head again.

"No, this leads me to my next thing..." From out of her pocket she pulled out the bright blue key, it quickly illuminated the room with a soft azure hue. Mitsuru's eyes went wide as soon as she recognised what that was.

"How on earth did you get that?"

"This was given to me by Marie. From what she told me this is his access into the velvet room, it's a strange thing for him to leave behind; she wasn't sure how she got it. She thinks Margaret left it for her to give back to Souji." Looking up at Mitsuru, only then she noticed the panic in her eyes before she tried to shift back to her stoic face however Naoto noticed. "You know more about this then you are letting on. What does this item signify?"

Mitsuru questioned herself. She hesitated but the key bit of information could be the thing needed to end this case but the assumptions made from it would be frightening and possibly have huge ramifications.

Coughing just to clear her throat, she started. "That key is a personification of Seta-san's power. And considering how bright it's glowing a considerable amount of energy has been fed into that."

That comment confused Naoto. "What do you mean?"

"One of two things must have happened. The first one is what I would hope has happened rather than the later."

Naoto's eyes narrowed, saying silently to hurry up and spit it out.

"Either he's actively separated himself from his power, to keep whatever was after him from getting it and somehow given it to Margaret or whatever or whoever that took him separated it from him and lost it in another battle."

While Naoto processed those words, Mitsuru put forth another question. "Was there any signs or resistance near or outside his apartment?"

"Not as far as I observed..."

She then followed it up, "Does Seta-san have a television in his apartment?"

"Yes he does. He has one..." Naoto's eyes widened at where this was going. "...Oh god..."

"Did he have his weapon at his apartment?"

"Y-Yes... I recovered it from his apartment." Mitsuru shook her head. With each passing bit of information this was looking bleaker and bleaker.

"So there is a large possibly that he's stuck in the other world with no power and without his weapon-"

"No... No... No!" Naoto shouted with her head in her hands. This can't be where it ends. No this can't be it. There has to be something. Anything from the information that's given her that might give her something that she can use to turn this around. Then she remembered something.

"I... I remember something Marie told me..." Naoto said from between her fingers. Mitsuru looked on in interest, curious how it could change anything.

"She told me to look out for blue butterflies. It's really vague but it's one of the best things I have to go on right now. I haven't seen anything but I wonder if it's something. Marie wouldn't mention it if it didn't have any meaning."

"This is just a hunch, but maybe it's something that Seta-san can see. I remember both Minato-kun and Aegis mentioning blue butterflies before. Maybe it has something to do with the power of the Wild Card?"

"That would make a lot of sense. Maybe it's something I have to carry around to actually be able to see. I do feel different carrying around, like Souji-kun is with me."

Mitsuru nodded, she had another idea. "How about-"

There was another knock on the door signalling Naoto to quickly put the item away. Pressing the button at the table the waiter appeared at the door.

"I hope you didn't disturb you. Here is your food." He said quickly as he laid down the various plates and dishes. "Just ring the bell if you need anything else." And with that he was gone with promptness.

Taking a bite of her food, "So, how about visiting Seta-san's apartment again with that in hand? I'm assuming it might lead you back to him."

"That's a possibility; I can make a second visit to it tomorrow. Would you like to attend?" Mitsuru nodded.

"I think that would be a wise idea. Whatever is out there has its eyes set out on Minato-kun and is strong enough to overpower Seta-san. Taking huge risks will only get us into more trouble than we are already in. It also makes me wonder, what would they need with Seta-san's power but trying to change his identity to Minato-kun."

This time Naoto was the one that brought something heavy into the conversation. "How does resurrection sound to you Kirijo-san?"

"That would be preposterous? You are not able to bring people back from the dead."

"Hear me out. If this person is trying to change everything from Souji-kun to Arisato-san while searching for the power of the Wild Card. Technically the power of the Wild Card has powers we have yet to even understand. Could that be their main goal not to resurrect him but to use whatever he has left from the door?"

"The door? How do you know about that?" Naoto only shook her head.

"After the case with the mechanised anti shadow weapon I decided to look into what happened with the Dark Hour, you of all people should know I couldn't let anything like that go. Especially since you were the one who came to me about how expansive the Kirijo group is."

Mitsuru scoffed. "Nothing gets past you."

"I wish that was true. There are so many references to the door and something holding it together after the events through the company's records it seems like your company has been looking for safe methods to replace it. Now that I think about it, there was a member of your team that isn't alive now but was heavily involved back then. The name of the one who holds the door's seal together has always been redacted, now I put it all together, it was him wasn't it?"

"Yeah it was. He gave his life for the balance of the world."

"Maybe they are trying to use the power to unclasp the seal. Replace one wild card user with another, or-"

"Maybe they are trying to open it? This is worrying." Taking another bite of food, "The only plus side at the moment is that you currently have that power and that operation cannot finish until whoever is planning this attains it. I have a worrying feeling that you bringing it back here only makes it more dangerous."

Naoto taking a bite of her own food, "Well I plan to give it back to Souji-kun, considering Marie's words it's the one thing that could save him."

"Or doom us all."

Naoto let off a small yet sad smile. "A gamble I'm willing to take."

It only made Mitsuru frown. She understood, but it didn't make her feel better. "Anyway, let's finish up eating so we can head to your hotel room, I want to see those documents."

_The sub-level tunnels were claustrophobic yet comforting. The path lead itself, no confusion in where to go, with only forward was his aim. His body was starting to feel the elongated effects of being here way too long. Fatigue was hitting quicker and his body couldn't react to things as fast. His best way of getting through it is to avoid trouble altogether. The heavy presence of the ones giving chase was long gone, seemingly unaware on how to find. Whoever or whatever directing him in this direction knew what they were doing. This path felt safer than the others; leading him somewhere the world's gravity didn't have such an effect. Using the wall as support he continued his path hoping the_ _railroading_ _will be him to a point where there is a resolution. Hopefully a good one._

_He could dream, if he could. He doesn't even know the meaning of that anymore..._

Naoto opened up the hotel wardrobe and pushed back some of her spare clothes to reveal the safe in there. Inputting a quick combination the safe opened with a small beep revealing identification documents and Souji's passport still safely inside. Taking out the documents she passed them to Mitsuru.

"Here, these are the ones I recovered from his apartment." Mitsuru took the papers with a small 'thank you' before sitting down in the love seat, starting to go through them. She flicked between the papers, making sure to read them once over than twice over.

Naoto herself took a seat back at her desk and flicked her laptop open and waited for it to boot up. Bringing out her notepad, she double checked the notes she had taken through the day, and realised she needed to follow up on his electricity usage. Knowing Souji he's probably done it online so that's where she would check first.

"These are all correct..." Mitsuru's voice attracted Naoto's attention; she turned to look over her shoulder.

"Something's wrong?"

Mitsuru shook her head like she couldn't believe it. "All of the things here, everything about him is correct. Even information about the previous place of residence for the old SEES board is correct. That's supposed to be classified information. Who is working on this? This makes no sense."

"Could it be a breach of your internal database at the Kirijo Group and they've found out that way?"

"That's a possibility. Would I be able to borrow your laptop after this so I can check? I can get into it remotely and that might have some answers." Naoto physically bristled at the question. She was _protective_ over her own technology but choked back the instant 'No' that was going to come from her lips. She took this rationally.

"Yes as long as none of my files on your group go missing."

Mitsuru chuckled. "Well by the end of it you might have triple the amount."

Naoto gave a small smile. She was about to answer but someone knocked on the door. The two of them looked at each other.

"Are you expecting somebody?" Naoto shook her head slowly.

"How about you?"

"My staff would call me if they needed me, I haven't told them I'm up here..." Naoto frowned; she walked up and tiptoed to the door. She looked down the peephole, and she was shocked at what she saw. Quickly turning to Mitsuru,

"In my suitcase there is a waist holster belt, pass me the whole thing." The concern was apparent on Mitsuru's face.

"Why who is it?"

"The guard from Souji's apartment..." Quickly the head of the Kirijo Group searched among Naoto's clothes and found what she was looking for. Once in her hand she threw it to Naoto who put it on. In a rush she opened one of the pouches and pulled out a pair of fingerless gloves and slipped them on. "What is that you need?"

"You took something from Seta-san's room that the tenants and legal office needed. I've come here to get it back." Naoto raised an eyebrow. That was a bad excuse.

"Unfortunately I've already given it to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, go to them and they should be able to assist you."

"As far as I'm away, you have not been to the police department today." Naoto rolled her eyes and slowly opened the door.

"Unfortunately you are mistaken-"

"I know you have them here so hand them over before someone gets hurt." There was a slight pause as the tension in the air was thick. Naoto eyes narrowed defiantly.

"No." With that the security guard launched his right fist forward that Naoto easily deflected and took a step forward thrust her own left fist squarely into his face causing the security guard to stumble back.

"I said leave," The guard's head which was reared back pulled forward again. This time his eyes were glowing red.

"Argh!" He roared as he physically bulked up. Naoto eyes widened.

"What the hell!?" The guard charged forward again this time with his whole body. Thinking quickly, Naoto rolled to her side avoiding the incoming slam. Mitsuru instantly got on her feet and got ready as Naoto landed near her.

"I can't shoot him in here." Naoto shook her head as she watched the guard turn around. "I might hit people in the other room."

"Is there a way to incapacitate him?"

Naoto clenched her teeth. "Yeah I got an idea." As soon as she said that the guard lunged again as Mitsuru and Naoto jumped to opposite sides, flanking him.

"Go for his knees!" She went stiletto first and delivered one of her signature thrust kicks at full power causing the guard to buckle temporarily but before he went down completely he grabbed Mitsuru by the neck with lightning quickness.

"Gah!"

Thinking quickly Naoto pulled out her switchblade, stabbing the man in the thigh causing him to cry out in pain and drop Mitsuru. The moment of her fall made her stumble back onto the bed which in turn knocked Souji's sword to the ground. The impact of it hitting the floor alerted all three people in the room. Quickly the guard went for it. Naoto then pulled out something else from one of her pouches and turned it on.

The man lifted it up and pulled it from the sheath before side stepping a roundhouse kick from Mitsuru who had to pivot back from the incoming swipe from the security guard. He was about to swing again when Naoto jumped on his back.

"Hold still!" she roared as she lodged the taser into his neck causing him to scream in pain. He flailed around violently, almost knocking Mitsuru to the floor as she ducked one of his arms. Naoto growled knowing it was having an effect but it wasn't strong enough. She dislodged it for a second, upping the voltage.

"I said hold STILL!" She screamed as she plunged it in again, his cries of pain were louder than before. The one benefit this time was that he stopped flailing, this gave Mitsuru time to look around for something to use, and then she saw it on the bed side table.

"Yaaahh!" She roared as she slammed the kettle into the man's face shutting off his cries of anguish. He quickly dropped to his knees as Naoto pulled the taser out and hopped off him before he fell in a heap out cold.

The both looked at each other, a job well done before taking a breath. Looking back on the person they just dispatched, they saw him physically shrink, dropping back to the normal size that Naoto saw of him when he was at the door.

"This is getting stranger..."

"Indeed..."

_What seemed to be an endless amount of walking he found himself at the next station. Looking up at the sign and it said Naka-Okachimachi. Man it almost felt like_ _he was going_ _in a circle as he shook his head. Something that he noted was that he's not been underground in this area due to it being blocked off. The station from up above was closed. Stepping_ _onto_ _the platform he noticed the_ _lights_ _were brighter_ _than_ _they were in Akihabara. In whatever left of his mind, that was progress. Whatever was hunting him before seemed a million miles away now as he couldn't feel the presence any more. So it either gave up or is so far away he can't feel it. Anyway this is the best the situation has been for a while. Still looking for a way out he needed to move quickly. Things_ _may be_ _on the up but he's body was decaying. Whoever was guiding him was doing a good job._


	5. Day Three: Calamity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto and Mitsuru continue their investigation into Souji's disappearance realising there is now a lot more on the line than previously first thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally Chapter 5. I've been sitting on this one for a while because I lazy about going through editing. I've finally done what I can and stopped being distracted from working on later chapters. Hope you enjoy this one, this is where the story begins to open up as we hit our half way point. If there is anything please let me know in a review.

**Day Three: Calamity**

Naoto blinked, slightly unsure of where she was. It took her a second as the azure sky shone over her body as the familiar feeling of wet-less water was under her. Carefully she stood up quickly remembering what this place was.

"Glad to have you back." Marie's voice startled Naoto forcing her to step back.

"Oh Marie, you scared me."

"Sorry about that. I was eager for an update." The look on the deity was definitely one of concern. She was worried and for good reason.

"My mistake, it's been a stressful day." Marie seemed to agree on that. Her look did say for her to go on. Naoto's sigh caused Marie to frown, "Well the two places I needed to start off with were his apartment and his University. The good thing is that his apartment alone gave a good idea what has happened, it's been enough to be the main drive behind what I can do to help him." Looking at Marie's face, she was on the edge of her every word.

"As for his University, it proved to be a waste of time. Nothing of note happened there plus the people who share his office said nothing unusual other than he's been away a longer period of time than what they thought was normal."

Marie seemed a little crestfallen. "I see. That makes sense. So what happened at his home?"

"There seemed to have been a fight. And whatever the threat was, it was enough for him to use his sword. His living room was complete chaos. I picked up his sword from the debris. His furniture was shredded, and mostly damaged everywhere else. His bedroom was seemingly ransacked. Whoever took Souji or knows where he is had been staying there during that period of time. And the strangest thing is that they were filling out forms to change Souji-kun's identity to Minato Arisato-"

Marie raised her hand to stop Naoto dead. "That's Elizabeth's guest. He's the seal for the door of the Nyx. Why would..."

Naoto saw Marie's face stuck in thought like she's just had time to process what's going on. The Sleuth's eyes followed her as she started to pace left and right.

"Is something the matter?" Marie shook her head but didn't stop moving.

"Yes, this is very wrong. What they are trying is insanity. I don't think it will work but the consequences for trying would be dire."

"What do you think whoever this is planning?" She stopped for a second and turned to her.

"The amount of power that seal has is something most people are not able to comprehend. At its highest power the Wild Card can do many things that are not feasible for even gods like me. Using Souji's power can not only rupture the seal, this person might even be trying to absorb it. That combined with the unleashment of the Nyx; at that point we could have the end of the world as we know it. Combining the power of both Wild Cards using that as a catalyst would be insane. On top of that both of the Wild Cards in question are both fully powered, matured. Oh man oh man."

"We are playing against a stacked deck I'm assuming..."

"Indeed, since you are here however, you still have Souji's power. So that's one positive, and I can still sense Souji as well. He's light is getting dimmer but he's still holding on."

"How much time do I have?"

"Considering the rate he's been going, a couple days at best. I'm not sure what will happen after that."

"So I have until tonight to find him then. Something tells me I'll need to go into the other world. I wish I had the team to help me on this one." Naoto's frown was deep. She knew she didn't have much time but to now hear it put this way placed her on a severe edge.

"Have you had any allies you could speak to?"

"I've been working with Kirijo Mitsuru, since Arisato-san is dear to her. I called her wanting more information but she decided to come along because her company has vested interests in keeping the seal in place." That put a small smile on Marie's face.

"That's a reliable name..." Marie said looking into the distance in thought

"Also I think Souji is in the TV world." Just as quickly her head snapped back, facing her with a look of shock.

"Say what!?"

"When looking at his apartment, there was no fight to pull him out of it. It would have been hard to hide him struggling on the way out especially with the mess in his living room; surely if he did it would have spilled outside and would be difficult to hide something from others. He was either pushed through or jumped in voluntarily. I'm not too sure which one it is since if I have his power and his weapon he's in there unarmed and-"

"His body is decaying... He doesn't have a shadow to prop him up either. Oh man..." She turned to her, face somewhere between a panic and determination. "Right change of tactics, I'll step up in my attempt to contact Margaret and send her over as soon as possible. I need you to enter the TV World and find him. But you need to do it from a safe location, I can't track him myself but the power of the Wild Card might bring you closer to him, and also whoever is doing this as well."

"That's my current plan now. Also one more thing of note..."

"Hmm?"

"The security guard that was watching over Souji-kun's apartment block attacked me and Kirijo-san in my hotel room yesterday. It almost seemed like he was possessed..."

"Ok. Ok. That last bit of detail justifies a small suspicion I have with what is going on. I'm worried that a being not of this world is manipulating things behind the scenes that have considerably more understanding than most of us about the world of Personas at play here. You may be dealing with some personification of a god similar to me if they can pull something like that off."

"...Great..."

"Yeah, only very certain types of beings can do that. As soon as I know something I'll pull you back in here."

"I can't just go to sleep in the middle of the day." Marie shook her head.

"You don't have too. Just close your eyes. Keep your phone on you. Anyway..." She tapped Naoto's forehead again causing the Sleuth to cross her eyes trying to track the patch of her finger, a bright light emitting from it before everything fading into white.

...

...

_Stumbling through the station, even with the brighter lights, the constant blue tint in his vision was getting annoying. It was like he was going colour blind. Seeing the world in one contrast setting was jarring now he'd spent more time noticing. Not running for his life was helpful in now having the ability to concentrate on other things. The fact he_ _couldn't_ _have to worry about the instant danger_ _meant_ _he could concentrate on the not so instant ones. At that point he noticed that the shutters for the platform_ _were_ _closed, meaning he was trapped on this platform unless he wanted to make his way back. Looking around he saw nothing to indicate an exit, until he noticed another track side gate open. Just like in Akihabara station it flapped in the windless air, almost like it was inviting him in. Figuring this maybe the way to go, he went ahead, hoping it_ _would_ _lead him to answers._

...

...

Naoto's eyes shot wide open as she looked around. Blinking she realised that she was back in her hotel room. Checking the time, seeing her mobile blaring at her that it was 7am, it was bright enough to give her a head start. She took a second to look around her room. Seemingly nothing has changed as the content of her suit case was strewn in a small pile on the red carpet of the hotel room. She scolded herself at her untidiness as she moved the covers away. Taking a quick look at her phone she noticed no new messages. Hoping that maybe someone from the investigation team would have caught on to what's going on, the pipe dream of getting a message of support was gone. Hoping out of bed, Naoto bolted to the bathroom, wasting no time in getting ready for the day. She spent the morning running Marie's words in her mind, if this went wrong how disastrous it may be for everyone involved. She'll make sure to relay any information to Kirijo-san. If anything she needed to hear how dangerous this was.

Walking towards the bathroom she picked up some new clothes from her suitcase similar to the ones she was wearing yesterday and bundled them under her arm. Stepping carefully not to trip over her own stuff she made it to the bathroom to get ready. Happy that she had a shower last night, it meant she could get ready a lot quicker this morning without giving her mind too much time on its own, which always made things difficult at the moment.

At 7:35 the Sleuth was outside Mitsuru's hotel room door with the Toukasa Blade in hand and Souji's key in her inside jacket pocket. Knocking on it she waited for a reply. After a couple minutes she opened up, looking like she was ready for the day herself only with a slight droop of the eyes. Naoto was about to suggest something before Mitsuru beat her to it.

"On the way out let us grab a pair of coffees to go. We can drink in my car." It was one of the best ways to start the day in Naoto's eyes.

"Sounds like a good idea."

...

"So how did you sleep?" Mitsuru had an idea what her answer would be before she even said the question. Considering how the day would go, it was nice to use normal conversation to bring the tension down.

"As you can imagine not well..." Taking a sip of coffee, "...However I had another talk with Marie last night."

That instantly took her interest.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was said?" She mulled over the words of the deity. It was very easy to make it sound like this was a zero sum game. The head start the perpetrator had been enough with the drastic play they made to make it seem that this unwinnable for herself. But the only thing that was in play is that she had Souji's power in her grasp. There was also the thought that she had it because it wasn't needed.

"She went over most of the things I described to you last night. She doesn't think whoever this is would be interested in resurrecting someone. It's more like they would be interested in absorbing the power of the seal by using the power of the Wild Card as a catalyst." Mitsuru's face showed surprise, a lot of it.

"How do they know that will even work?" Taking another sip of coffee, she shook her head.

"Marie doesn't think it will work at all. A Fool's errand as they say." She saw her visibly relax at that, but turned away to look from the window. "The mere attempt to try is going to bring destruction down on us however."

The sigh that came after knew exactly it meant.

"I figured as much."

"On top of all that, from what she can sense, Souji's 'light' is dimming under the strain of wherever he is. She came to the same conclusion that I did when talking about he must be in the other world. It's the only way to explain it; he can't just vanish in thin air in a city like this. I figured I do need to go into the TV to search for him."

"Think you are up for the task?"

Naoto sighed, in a way she hated. The one where she was only given one choice, "I don't have a choice. I would rather do it with more back up but I have to take my chances on this one. I don't have time to get my team even if I wanted to. They wouldn't even know what we will be fighting for, if they even want to fight at all."

"Don't have faith in them?" It was a loaded question. Mitsuru knew exactly what she meant in how she asked. All it did was make the Sleuth growl in frustration.

"It's not about having faith in them. They _don't_ remember him. They don't know who he is. How can you have conviction to throw your life away for someone you don't know?" A thick silence enveloped the limo as the pair sat quietly. The only thing going was the hum of the vehicle that they were in. The leader of the Kirijo group was about to apologise when Naoto's watch went off.

"!?" Both of them looked at it as her wrist lit up. _Distance: 20m_ both of them looked at each other. Quickly Mitsuru pressed the driver alarm button.

"Yes Kirijo-sama?"

"Pull over, stop the car now!"

Getting out Naoto sprinted to where she just a second watching the units count down until they hit 20 again and stayed there. Mitsuru was close behind her and stopped right next to her.

"Found anything?" Naoto scanned the area; if Souji was around 20 meters away she would be able to see him from here. If someone had his watch she would be able to tell. Taking a couple steps to the side she realised that it wasn't attracting the watches in a lateral direction. Her brain racked itself for a minute, realising this was her one shot to save him. Then it hit her.

"This distance is based on altitude..." On reaction both she and Mitsuru looked up to the sky, seeing nothing. Then they turned towards Ueno station behind them. "He's underground..." With that they took off to one of the busiest stations in Tokyo.

Quickly running into the concourse of the station she noticed the distance numbers increased a little but paid it no mind. Noting that there were ticket barriers in the way, she ruffled through her inside jacket pocket and pulled out her wallet. She handed Mitsuru her spare Nimoca card as she pulled out her Suica.

"We'll need to get past the barriers, let's go." Both of them quickly tapped in and descended the stairs. Quickly navigating the morning rush hour crowd they slipped and shifted between the groups of people before going down to the Metro Hibaya line. The platform was busy but she could see the numbers on her watch descend quickly.

"We're almost there." She said in a huff as they finally got down the last set of stairs. It was full of people but her watch said 3 meters. Naoto carried on slowly with Mitsuru in tow, changing direction whenever it went up or down. After a couple minutes she stood next to a wall where her watch finally capped out its minimal distance.

_Distance 1m_

Looking around she saw no sign of him. There couldn't even be anyone here with his watch either. She was confused as hell and the feeling of frustration was starting to bubble within her.

"See anything?" Naoto shook her head looking all over the place before glancing back at her watch. The distance tracker didn't move but there was no sign of him.

"No, this is crazy unless this thing is attracted to something else..." Noticing that Naoto's words trailed off, Mitsuru turned to see Naoto crouching on the ground.

"Something else?"

"It's one of the blue butterflies that Marie was talking about." She blinked, wondering what on earth is going on.

"I can't see anything, as in where you are pointing?"

"Yes, it's swirling around me currently and it's now moving past you." She was about to comment and suddenly realised.

"Do you have Souji's key with you?"

The Sleuth nodded, not going to pull it out in public so not to scare anyone. "You think that's why only I can see it?"

"It has to be unless I've gone blind, and I know I haven't."

Naoto looked at her watch and where the blue butterfly was hovering. Currently her watch said _Distance: 3m_ which is approximately where the butterfly was from her current distance.

"I think we've found him. But he's on the other side, and there aren't any TVs around either. Damn it." Mitsuru looked around, noticing that it was still very busy.

"I have an idea but you might not like it."

"Hmm?"

"We should head to Seta-san's department and try to go in through there. It might not be safe to do so here." She wanted to dispute that call, he was so close. This would have been it but she was right. They had no particular way to get into the TV World from here and they weren't even sure where they would end up. Considering there was still someone on the loose who could over power Souji and he was considerably more powerful than her as a Persona user, playing it safe would be the best course of action right now.

"As much as it pains me to say, you are right. Let's head to Souji's place and see where we get to with that."

With that they both nodded and hurried out of the subway station.

...

...

_Dropping to one knee, he knew he_ _couldn't. The_ _feeling of emptiness was starting to become more apparent. He could feel his body getting lighter and making it harder to carry on. His thoughts were becoming more scrambled. As his spectrum of colours started to deteriorate in front of him, the feeling in his hands grew less and less able to detect different surfaces and his hearing was shot as far as he could tell. The only thing he's heard in the past from what he's remembered was the shutters at Akihabara Station. The concept of existing was starting to be exhausting for him. Leaning against the wall he took a breather. That's when he noticed it, the watch on his arm started to bleep. How come he hasn't noticed this before?_

_It started to bleep with some sort of message on it. It said_ _Distance: 20m_ _. He couldn't work_ _out what it_ _was supposed to mean or its value. Closing his eyes he tried to think, what does this...?_

_**"Souji-kun,"** _

_**"I love you Souji-kun."** _

_**"I can't wait to move in with you."** _

_**"Are you going to help me pack? I'd** _ _**love it if** _ _**you would stay with me Souji-kun."** _

_It gave him a searing headache as he clutched his head in agony. The thoughts, it brought him pain. Once he hadn't felt before in_ _some time_ _. It's like the memories didn't match the person who he was and his brain was trying to reject them._ _These_ _memories couldn't be for him. He doesn't know who this Souji is. It's not him, he didn't have a name and who was this person talking to him. Who was she, has she been the one guiding him all this time trying to get him out or was this just another spectre to attack him_ _with whatever_ _was chasing him. All it did was sap more energy from him as he was already struggling. Whatever he didn't he couldn't shake them off no matter what he tried. Looking at the watch, the numbers got lower and lower. What did that even mean?_

_The lower the numbers got, the more his head started to throb. he needed to get away; he had to move but the pain... It's too much. He had to keep going, but the ringing in his head. These were not his memories. He doesn't have memories; he's not capable of having them. Who was she?_ _Why_ _is she so important?_

_**"I need you Senpai,"** _

_**"I'm sad to see you go Senpai."** _

_**"Please stay with me Souji-kun,"** _

_**"It's a good thing I have you back Senpai."** _

_It was too much, it was all too much. He couldn't take it anymore. The thumping was at_ _its_ _peak as the distance bottomed out. His vision became fuzzy, hazy as the overstimulation of the brain was taking away his consciousness, crawling forward, trying the best he could to move, the last thing he saw before his eyes closed was_ _Distance: 2m_ _._

...

...

Coming out of Ueno station they looked around for Mitsuru's limo. She pointed it out after a minute of searching, once spotted they jogged back and jumped into the back seats.

"Did you find what you were looking for Kirijo-sama?"

"Somewhat, anyway proceed to the destination as before."

"Yes Kirijo-sama,"

Turning to Naoto, "We will get to him, we are almost there."

Naoto nodded but she couldn't shake the feeling. Looking down at her shoes she wondered, what was the right call? Will he even be there by the time they get back? Only if there was a way of keeping an eye on him from this world...

"I know but I can't help but worry for his safety anyway. We should be close to his apartment in Nakano so I should focus."

All she could do was nod. Mitsuru had been in two minds about the whole situation. While she knew what it was to fight for a loved one, how much that was at stake was a lot bigger than one person. She knew that Naoto had already made a decision about it. To Naoto her world was Souji and she didn't want to give it up unless there was no hope left. Hopefully the desired outcome is that they both get what they want. The pressing matter of the Nyx and its door was stressful but she prepared contingency plans just in case things got worse. No situation could never be over prepared and she knew exactly what she had to do to keep that door closed if need be.

The drive only took them 15 minutes to get to Souji's set of apartment blocks. The streets were quiet, on brand for a working week day. As Naoto closed the door to the car, the sound of its slam echoed through the silent street, the only noise with them was Mitsuru doing the same. The Sleuth wondered why Souji decided to live in such a quiet area when he's known as such a city person. She lifted his sword over her shoulder as she motioned the former head of S.E.E.S. into the main entrance. To the surprise of neither of them the security guard was not there so they walked up the three sets of stairs to the apartment landing.

"Do you have a means of entering?" Naoto simply nodded as she lifted a pair of keys. "Pick pocketed him yesterday?"

Another curt nod,

After placing the key into the lock, the door gave way and opened up, revealing the room hadn't changed much from her last visit. Turning on her torch she set it up in the middle of the table and twisted it, turning it to a makeshift room lamp.

"It really does look like a fight took place in here..."

"Yes, it's why I'm sure he's in the TV World. After this morning I've never been so sure. Also Nakano isn't so far Ueno but he might have moved since then, I'm hoping I have enough time to search before anything happens. "

Shuffling her hand into her pocket, Mitsuru pulled out a small in-ear communication piece and handed it over.

"We tend to use them so we can communicate between areas. I know Kujikawa-san isn't here but I can at least provide support from this end." Naoto gave her a genuine smile.

"I really appreciate it Kirijo-san." She took a moment to fit it in as Mitsuru did the same. "Hopefully this won't take too long. I'll let you know at the first sign of trouble."

"Good, you getting hurt now will only jeopardise this case."

"Mmm, hopefully his key will lead me to him."

"Oh indeed it will lead you to him..." The ladies in the room bristled as they heard a voice from outside the apartment. Both of them got into a fighting stance as the said voice started to clap as they entered the room. As they walked in, his look in the dim light caused Naoto to gasp and Mitsuru to growl.

"It's been difficult enough to make sure all the pieces are in place but I must say it's coming together. After all of this time, I thought I'd have to start chasing you back to Inaba he called it. It's amazing that your memories of him stay intact. I find it interesting how these bonds work." He said flexing his hand.

"What or who the hell are you?" Mitsuru shouted. His look triggered her anger.

"That is absolutely none of your concern Mitsuru Kirijo." The smirk was uncharacteristic for the face that was on it, but it only made Naoto anxious.

"What have you done Souji Seta?" He scoffed, completely ignoring the question. He paced round the table in the middle so his face now illuminated by the lamp in the middle room; clapping all the while he did so. He was in the image of Minato Arisato but his eyes were Souji's. The calm and aloof ones Naoto was familiar in love with were now twisted and sinister. His hair shifted from the dark blue to Souji's silver closer to the ends they were. It was like a horrifying amalgamation of the two which didn't look complete.

"Unfortunately for you I don't have time for games so I'm going to cut to the chase. You have two choices, give me his key now and I'll allow you to walk out of here or I'll kill you both where you stand and take it from you."

"I-"

"Over my dead body!" Naoto roared as she pulled out her revolver.

He sighed, almost as if he was disappointed. "Suit yourself."

He waved his arm and a blast of wind threw both persona users off their feet into the nearby wall knocking the sword out of Naoto's hand. Groaning in pain, Naoto pulled herself up with the aid of the surface behind her with Mitsuru doing the same a second later.

"What the hell is this thing?"

"I have no idea."

"Die!" He screamed as Naoto ducked and rolled behind the sofa as ethereal blades embedded themselves into the wall where she stood. Mitsuru kicked up the remains of a wooden chair with her feet before firing it with a roundhouse kick sending it hurtling toward their enemy at breakneck speed. He simply just lifted his hand to catch it in mid air before crushing it into wooden shards in his grasp.

Naoto stuck her head out from the sofa and fired several rounds from her revolver. Each shot bouncing and ricocheting off his body without laying a scratch. Turning towards where Naoto was hiding behind the furniture, he walked in her direction. Mitsuru seeing this pulled out a small handle from a secret sleeve in the back of her blouse, and flicked it, the small stick fully extended into a fencing sabre, her traditional weapon. Pressing the button on the side the hilt mask curved around her hand as she charged forward.

"Pathetic!" She thrust forward but he blocked it with his arm. A split second later she pulled back and went again at a different angle as he easily blocked. Mitsuru gritted her teeth as she disengaged as he swung downwards, barely missing her as she hopped back. As his fist connected with the floor, the floor quaked and gave way to its impact, chips of wood and flooring flying everywhere as cracks formed under the missed strike.

"This is a fight you cannot win."

He dived at the fencer with a straight right that she ducked before rolling away he was instantly looming over as he grabbed her leg and picked her up. Just as he did that Naoto fired again, her bullets bouncing off his back right back at her, forcing her to take cover. His momentary distraction allowed Mitsuru to stab him in the leg with her sabre. Ever so slightly, he flinched. Looking down at the leader of the Kirijo Group, he growled as he threw her into the sofa that Naoto was hiding behind. The cushions were enough to break her impact but it was strong enough to cause the living room furniture to tip backwards. Naoto sensing the danger of being crushed by it slid out of the way before it fell on top of her. She kissed her teeth knowing she was more out in the open as nothing was in between them.

"I pity you, I really do. I'll give you one last choice. Hand it over or die?"

Naoto stiffened at his threat but kept her aim as her shaky hands tracked his movement. "Who are you?"

"As I said, it's none of your concern. Really I shouldn't even be conversing with you. You have something of mine and I demand you hand it over."

Her eyes narrowed, "I have nothing to give you, and I don't even know you."

"Oh... But I can be someone you know..." His face morphed temporarily showing more of Souji's features. Naoto took a step back, her gun still raised.

"No you are not!"

"It's a shame really, he's memories of you are so fond. It almost makes me sick. But at the end of the day, you were just going to be another sacrifice for the hurgh-" He was cut short as Mitsuru charged in from the flank and stabbed him in the chest. His face twisted in anger at her defiance while all she did was smirk. Quickly turning to Naoto,

"Piercing melee weapons work!"

"You fool!" Thinking on her feet she picked up Souji's sword that she brought with her and pulled it off the sheath mid-dash. Before emulating one of the moves she's seen her boyfriend do a hundred times and charged in with a lunging stab. His attack on Mitsuru was stopped mid-swing as she embedded her lover's blade into his back, crossing sword with Mitsuru in his midsection. He paused; slowly turning to her showing all it did was making him angrier.

"No more!" He roared using whatever power he had to blow back both ladies. Mitsuru was thrown to the wall near the apartment door before hitting the ground as Naoto hit the TV causing it to wobble but stay on its stand. His eyes turned a familiar golden hue as he performed a motion with his hand causing Naoto to float at his will.

"This is where your journey ends! I will make you rue the day you didn't give me what I want." His hand tensed as she felt the pressure on her neck. The grip tightened making it difficult for her to breathe to the point she was choking. Her hands flailed helplessly as her legs kicked out at the empty air as she felt her conscious slipping under the pressure before several bullets fired along the ground breaking his concentration. Turning around he heard the whirl of an active gatling gun.

"Stand down!" He smirked as he dropped Naoto as she struggled for breath. His face morphing again as he turned around to the newcomer who back peddled slightly.

"Minato-kun?"

"We have a newcomer. Oh we have a new comer!"

"Aigis! He's hostile!" Mitsuru ordered. With that, her eyes focused on her target as her boosters activated propelling her forward towards him. Gritting his teeth he caught her tackle and pushed back against her.

"Ah I forgot, you are not like the others!" After creating distance, he attempted to slam his fist into her chest which she blocked but slid back due to the power behind it. Using her feet, she spun out of his reach and aimed for his head which he ducked to give himself enough space to use an energy blast to knock her off balance. She landed on her feet, skidding back by a metre her boots leaving markings in the wooden floor. Naoto finally finding her bearings tried to get up, instantly getting his attention.

"Oh no no no. I've not forgotten you at all..." In his hand an energy ball started to appear and quickly grew in size. "Your road ends here..."

"Shirogane!" Mitsuru clambered to her feet and rushed forward with Aigis at her side but with his free hand he fired another shockwave knocking them both away.

"Don't interfere!" Turning to the Sleuth, morphing his face again to emulate her loved one. His smile sinister, evil, eyes widening with glee.

"Die!" The ball started to absorb all the light in the room. Naoto, knowing what was coming, put Souji's sword up in guard formation, not having the energy to move that fast.

He fired the blinding light enough to obscure the view of her allies. Just at the point of impact, she felt a tug on her back. Barely given time to register she was yanked backwards falling into the makeshift portal that felt all too familiar.


End file.
